The New York Mets' All-Star underwent Tommy John surgery in October and began throwing again last month at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Typical recovery time for the surgery is 12 months, but Harvey has been insistent about returning to Citi Field's mound during the 2014 season. The Mets front office has said it will be cautious with Harvey's recovery.

Harvey, 24, was the team's shining star during another rough season in which the Mets finished 74-88 and glared at the Atlanta Braves 22-games above them. His starts were must-see events and shortly became known as "Harvey Day." He went 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 178 1/3 innings before being shut down in August.

Mets fans are already looking forward to 2015, when they hope a healthy Harvey will lead a rotation that includes young guns Zack Wheeler, 23, and 21-year-old Noah Syndergaard.

Wheeler pitched 100 innings last season with a 7-5 record and 3.42 ERA. Sydergaard hasn't made his major league debut. It's likely he starts at Triple-A Las Vegas and is pulled up to the majors later in the season.